Massachusetts Law Firm Apologizes For Racist Ad
Newton, Mass.-based law firm Harmon Law apologized this week after it placed a foreclosure notice in a local newspaper that contained racist language.
The legal notice, which the firm says was scanned directly from the property’s deed, stated that, “The said land shall not be sold, leased or rented to any person other than of the Caucasian race,” reports the Boston Globe.
The statement, which first appeared on May 17, was removed from later editions of the New Bedford Standard-Times after a complaint was filed with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.
‘‘We do not condone the language and do not believe that it would be enforceable,” the firm said in a statement. “It is industry practice to include in the notice of sale the exact legal description as set forth in the mortgage.’’
Notices are generated by scanning deeds of foreclosed properties, and although the ads are checked for accuracy, language is not closely scrutinized due to the high number of foreclosure notices the firm processes, according to firm officials.
The Bedford Standard-Times also issued a mea culpa to its readers.
